May 25, 2007
ATHENS, Ga. -- All-American Georgia Rose's (Mettawa, Ill./North Shore Country Day) run in the NCAA singles tournament came to an end Friday as the sophomore fell to Stanford's Lindsay Burdette in three sets, 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, 6-4. Rose and senior Alexis Prousis (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) play their round of 16 doubles match at 5 p.m. CT.
For tournament schedules, brackets and results, as well as links to live scoring and live video, visit the University of Georgia Tournament Information Center.
The Stanford freshman jumped out to an early 1-0 lead by holding serve. Rose fought back from a 40-0 deficit to force deuce, but could not get the opening break. Burdette needed two break points, but finally took a game from the Wildcat with a winner to take a 2-0 lead.
The match stayed on serve until Rose took a break to close to 5-4. In the decisive game at 5-3, Rose took a 40-15 lead for her first break point, but could not convert. She only needed one more opportunity to give herself a chance to put the match back on serve.
The Wildcat held up her end of the bargain and threw up a perfect game to tie the match at 5-5. Rose gave herself a chance to serve for the set by going up 6-5 with a break, but Burdette did not let Rose have a point in the next game, and used a Rose double fault to even the match at 6-6 and force a tiebreak.
In the breaker, Rose took a 2-1 lead with an ace and used a mini break to pull ahead 3-1. Burdette used an ace of her own to close to 3-2, but Rose held to extend her advantage to 4-2. After a mini break by Burdette, the breaker stayed on serve until a double fault by Rose gave the Cardinal the opening set.
Although she struggled with her first serve in the first set -- hitting just over 40 percent -- Rose found her control in the second and used three breaks to win the set, 6-2.
She went up 1-0 on serve and took a 3-1 lead with a break. The game that swayed the momentum of the set in Rose's favor was a marathon, filled with four break point opportunities for the Wildcat. The sophomore eventually got her break off an unforced error by Burdette.
After Rose held for 4-1, she took another break for a 5-1 lead. She again needed multiple break points, but eventually converted on her third chance.
Burdette took a break to close to 5-2, taking advantage of a double fault by Rose, but the sophomore broke right back, putting up a perfect game to end the second set. The Wildcat drastically improved on first serves after the first set, putting up nearly a 75 percent first serve percentage.
Burdette broke Rose for 1-0, but the sophomore took the break back to knot the set at 1-1. Rose was down 40-0, but she fought back to force deuce and needed only one break point to even the set.
The match stayed on serve until a decisive game at 4-4 where Burdette broke to take a 5-4 advantage. Rose prevented the break once at 40-30, but Burdette took the advantage off deuce and won the game on her second break point.
A turbulent game at 5-4 proved to be the difference as Burdette was able to hold serve despite giving the Wildcat three break point chances. The Cardinal had a match point at 40-30, but committed her second double fault of the day to tie the game at 40-40.
Burdette gave Rose the advantage with her second-straight double fault, but the sophomore could not convert on the opportunity.
The Wildcat had another advantage for her second break point, but the Cardinal kept fighting back. Rose's third break point would be her last chance as Burdette fought for deuce and eventually converted on her second match point opportunity.
The match was the last left on the courts of the day's first set of matches. Match time was approximately two hours and 45 minutes.
Rose ends her 2006-07 campaign with a 26-5 record. She returns to the court at 5 p.m. CT Friday for doubles action with Prousis. The pair is looking for a berth in the quarterfinals.
For complete tournament information, visit the University of Georgia Tournament Information Center.